Mouth opening alarm



P 1961 G. J. WILSON 2,999,232

MOUTH OPENING ALARM Filed Jan. 15, 1960 AGITATOE OE BUZZEE 5 I 9 30 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 2,999,232 1 Y MOUTH OPENING ALARM George J. Wilson, 186 Benham Road, Groton, Conn. Filed Jan. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 2,779- 3 Claims. (Cl. 340-279).

This invention relates to alarm devices, and more particularly to a device adapted to be worn by a person while sleeping and to provide an alarm automatically when the persons mouth opens, whereby the device causes the wearer thereof to become conscious of the fact that he has lost control of his mandible.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved mouth opening warning device which is simple in construction, which is relatively comfortable to wear, and which provides an automatic alarm to warn a person wearing same that his mouth has opened, whereby the person will be awakened, and whereby the person will eventually become conditioned to close his month while sleeping.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mouth open warning device adapted to be worn by persons who inadvertently let their mouths fall open while sleeping, causing them to snore or breathe improperly, the device being relatively compact in size, being light in weight, and being inexpensive to fabricate.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view showing the manner in which a warning device according to the present invention is mounted on a persons head.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view showing the device in its operating position on the head of a person using same, the person being in a reclining position.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged front elevational view of the vibrator housing employed in the device of FIGURES 1 and 2, the front cover of the housing being removed.

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a wiring diagram showing the electrical connections of a device such as that illustrated in FIG- URES 1 to 5.

Referring to the drawings, 11 generally designates a mouth opening warning device according to this invention, the device comprising a flexible band 12 adapted to be engaged around a persons head in the manner illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the band being provided with a suitable buckle assembly 13 for adjustably securing same. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the band preferably is of downwardly expanding width so that the lower portion thereof is somewhat wider than the top portion, the widest portion of the band being the part thereof which is adapted to pass beneath the wearers chin.

Designated at 15 is a housing adapted to be received in the bottom loop of the band 12 and being provided with the respective generally U-shaped guide loops 16, 16 at its opposide side walls which slidably receive the respective side portions of the band 12, allowing the housing 15 to move vertically in the band.

The top wall 17 of the housing is arcuately shaped, and being upwardly concave, as illustrated in FIGURE 3, to conform with the contour of the wearers chin. A cushioning pad 18 of suitable elastic material, such as sponge rubber or the like, is secured on the top wall 17 to provide a cushion between said top wall and the persons chin when the device is worn in the manner illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2.

. 2,999,232 Patented Sept. 5, 1961'" The housing 15 is" provided with a removable front cover 19 which provides access to the interior of the housing when removed, so that the battery associated with the device may be replaced whenever required.

Mounted in the housing 15 isa vibrator 20 which is of conventional construction, and which is provided with the outwardly extending vibratory arm '21 formed with the upstanding end portion 22 on which is mounted a vibrator head 23 of substantial area, said head closely underlying the intermediate portion of the arcuate top' wall 17 of the housing. As will be readily understood,

when the vibrator 20 is energized, vibrations are transmitted directly to the top wall 17 by the repeated impacts of the head 23 with said top wall responsive to the oscillation of the vibrator arm 21.

Mounted in the bottom wall 24 of the housing 15' is a normally opened switch 25 which is provided with a depending actuating button 26 or b extending through the bottom wall 24 of the housing and depending therebelow. Designated at 27 is a resilient, relatively wide actuating arm which issecured to the rear wall of housing 15- and which extends downwardly and forwardly beneath the housing,underlying the actuating button 26 of switch 25 and resting on the bottom of the looped band 12. As will be readily understood, when the housing 15 is moved downwardly in the lower portion of the band, the arm 27 flexes sufliciently so that it comes into engagement with the switch button 26, whereby switch 25 is closed responsive to a predetermined downwardly movement of housing 15.

Mounted in the housing opposite the vibrator 20 is a.

battery 28 or B whose center contact 29 is clarnpingly engaged byterminal clip 30 secured to the side wall 31 of housing 15, as shown in FIGURE 4. The casing of the battery engages a resilient contact spring 32 which is likewise secured to the side wall 31, the side wall being of insulating material, so that the terminal members 30 and 32 are insulated from each other. The terminal clip 32 is connected by a wire 33 through a manually operated switch 34 or S to one terminal of the vibrator 20. The switch 34 is mounted in any convenient location on the housing 15, for example, on the side wall 35 opposite the side wall 31. The remaining terminal of the vibrator 20 is connected by a suitable wire 36 to one terminal of the normally open push-button switch 25. The remaining terminal of the switch 25 is connected by a wire to the battery terminal member 30.

As will be readily apparent, when the switch 25 is closed, the vibrator 20 is energized, causing vibrations to be transmitted to the persons face, as above described, the vibrations being of sufficient intensity so that the person is awakened.

A pair of additional terminals 40 and 41 are provided on the removable front cover 19', the terminals being connected by flexible wires 42 and 43 respectively to the conductor elements 32 and 36. The terminals 40 and 4 1 may be of the female type adapted to received the spaced prongs of a conventional plug connector 44, said prongs being connected by the wires 45 and 46 of a line cord to a suitable audible alarm device 47, such as a bell or buzzer. Since the alarm device 47 is connected in parallel with the vibrator 20, said alarm device will become energized simultaneously with the vibrator when the pushbutton switch 25 is closed, providing an audible alarm.

It will be noted that the resilient member 27 is yieldable enough so that a person wearing the device is not compelled to keep his mouth closed, but is yieldable to allow the push-button switch 25 to close responsive to the dropping of the persons chin while sleeping. This causes the wearer to become conscious of this fact, which will in turn cause the person to exercise his own jaw muscles and eventually condition him to sleep with his month closed without requiring the use of the warning device.

While a specific embodiment of an improved mouth opening warning device has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be'understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1.- A mouth opening warning device comprising a closed flexible band adapted to be engaged substantially vertically around a persons head and having a lower portion adapted to extend beneath the persons chin, a housing movab-ly mounted on said lower portion, guide loops on the opposite side walls of the housing slidably receiving the opposite side portions of the band, an electric vibrator mounted in saidhousing, a battery in said housing, a normally open switch mounted in said housing and having a movable transversely; extending operating element engaging the band beneath the housing and closing the switch responsive to downward movement of said housing in the band, and circuit means connecting said vibrator to said battery through said switch.

'2. A month opening warning device comprising a closed flexible band adapted to be engaged substantially vertically around a persons head and having a lower portion adapted to extend beneath the persons chin, a housing disposed in said lower portion of the band, guide loops on the opposite side walls of the housing slidably receiving the opposite side portions of the band and supporting said housing for vertical movement in said lower portion, an electric vibrator mounted in said housing and having a vertically movable vibratory head engageable with the top wall of the housing, a battery in said housing, a normally open switch mounted in said housing and having a movable transversely extending operating element engaging the band beneath the housing and closing 4 the switch responsive to downward movement of said housing in the band, and circuit means connecting said vibrator to said battery through said switch.

3. A mouth opening warning device comprising a closed flexible band adapted to be engaged substantially vertically around a persons head and having a lower portion adapted to extend beneath the persons chin, a housing disposed in said lower portion of the band, guide loops on the opposite side walls of the housing slidably receiving the opposite side portions of the band and supporting said housing for vertical movement in said lower portion, an electric vibrator mounted in said housing and having a vertically movable vibratory head engageable with the top wall of the housing, a battery in said housing, a normally open switch mounted in said housing and having a depending operating plunger depending from the bottom wall of the housing, a resilient actuating arm secured to the housing and extending transversely therefrom beneath said plunger, said arm engaging the band beneath the housing and being upwardly flexible to engage said plunger and close said switch responsive to downward movement of said housing in the band, and

circuit means connecting said vibrator to said battery through said switch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

